Saturday, December 13, 2014

[The Life of Shaun #505] 14,609

Russ, Rachel and Darrin had a birthday surprise for me: Iguazú Falls. They decided that, despite my urban tendencies, we couldn't go to that part of the world and not see the falls. So on Thursday, 13 November, we stirred in the morning to catch the flight for a daytrip quite unlike my normal excursions.

Iguazú (or Iguaçu, on the Brazilian side) is a collection of 275 waterfalls spanning the border of Argentina and Brazil. Though they are neither the tallest nor widest falls in the world, they are some of the most spectacular. Less obvious, but just as important, the geography of Iguazú allows for favourable vistas that aren't possible at some of the world's other great falls.

And so I spent my last day before middle age not in a bar or restaurant, as expected, but surrounded by a natural wonder with my close friends. And we made it back to our flat in Buenos Aires with enough time to open a bottle of Malbec and have a glass at midnight for my birthday toast. It was perfect.

Igazú bus selfie! To minimise traffic, noise and pollution, only park and tour busses are allowed inside the falls area.

The first view of the falls comes quite suddenly as you round a corner. Their sudden appearance and beauty took everyone by surprise; all at once, the chatter and activity on the bus halted as we were all drawn into the view.

From above the Devil's Throat (the largest single waterfall), you can look downriver and see some of the many smaller falls that make up Igazú.

Up close...

...their raw power is more apparent.

What looks like a light mist on the viewing path quickly turns out to be a soaking atmosphere of water...

...as our post-walk selfie shows.

Not wanting to stay dry for too long, we decided to take a speedboat ride on the river...